Editorial

Abstract

This editorial is to inform readers of Immunology of changes that have recently taken place in the running of the journal. On the 1st of January I took up the reigns of Immunology, together with four associate editors: John Gordon, Adrian Hayday, Eddy Liew and Mark Peakman. Two more associate editors will join us in July, bringing the total number of editors to seven. Mike Steward will continue to be involved with the journal until the 31st of June, with responsibility for any manuscripts submitted prior to the 1st of January. Any papers submitted since the 1st of January will be handled by Allison Lang at Triangle House. It is a clear indication of the Herculean contribution that Mike Steward has made to Immunology that it has taken seven people to replace him. Mike has been the editor of Immunology for 17 years. During that time he has maintained its reputation for impartiality, high quality and scientific integrity. Lynn Rider, Mike’s wife, ran the editorial office with fantastic efficiency and a good humour that was greatly appreciated by all those connected with the journal. The new editors and editorial team have a lot to live up to. So what do we hope to achieve? Immunology has always been regarded as one of the top immunology journals, but perhaps more so in Europe than elsewhere. Our major objective then, is to raise the impact of Immunology to match its true worth. To do this we aim to publish only the highest-quality papers submitted to the journal. This will be achieved by increasing the intensity of the editorial review (through the expanded team of editors) and by increasing competition for space through the inclusion of high-quality review articles. We will further enhance quality by encouraging those submitting papers to provide a complete story rather than one of several instalments. Whilst we will not encourage overly long papers, we will provide as much space as the science demands. We will be tough. Scientific rigour will be the key to enhancing the journal’s standing from its existing strong base. So please submit your best work to Immunology and expect it to be rigorously but fairly handled. What do we offer? We promise to treat each manuscript fairly, to keep an open mind and to be receptive to new ideas. We will operate a triage system in which papers will be reviewed by one of the editors and those that are not considered novel enough or of sufficient priority (although being of good quality) will be returned immediately. The remaining papers will be reviewed by the selected editor and two independent reviewers. It is our goal to complete this process as rapidly as possible, and to publish within 3 months of acceptance. What are the benefits to those who read and those who publish in Immunology? Clearly we all want our work to be seen in the best light. By raising the quality of Immunology we will raise the status of the subject in the UK. We will maintain the value of the journal which, together with its sister journal Clinical & Experimental Immunology, provide invaluable financial support to the British Society for Immunology and help ensure that our science prospers well into the next Millennium.